World's highest wind farm powers up clean energy development

China has achieved another breakthrough in wind power development at ultra-high altitudes, with the world's highest wind power project in Xizang Autonomous Region generating over 22 million kWh of electricity as of Tuesday.

Invested and constructed by companies including the Datang Xizang Energy Development Co., Ltd., the project with the highest nacelle at an altitude of 5,305 meters set a new record for China, as well as the world, in wind power projects in terms of altitude.

The project consists of 20 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 5 megawatts, and generates 223 million kWh of clean electricity annually, which can meet the yearly power needs of approximately 230,000 people, said Xu Qiduo, manager of the wind farm, adding that this smart project only needs eight to 10 people for wind turbine operations.

Areas located at altitudes between 3,500 and 5,500 meters are usually considered ultra-high altitude areas. These areas are rich in wind resources but pose greater demands on wind power technology and equipment performance.

At the wind farm in Xizang's Baxoi County, which began operation on Oct. 31, workers overcame a range of technical challenges, including blade stall and atypical condition control in the ultra-high altitude area, Xu said.

The wind turbines were specially designed to withstand extreme environments and weather conditions, including extremely low temperatures, strong ultraviolet radiation, and frequent thunderstorms at ultra-high altitudes, explained Losum Tsering, a technical worker at the wind farm.

Losum Tsering, a local Tibetan, expressed his gratitude for the improvements in the power grid in recent years as villagers like him now no longer face extended power blackouts lasting several consecutive days.

The green power project can save about 73,100 tonnes of standard coal annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 182,800 tonnes, according to the wind farm.

In recent years, several wind power projects in Xizang, which is rich in wind energy resources, have expanded into ultra-high-altitude areas. The second phase of a wind farm in the city of Shannan and a 300,000-kW wind and photovoltaic power project in the city of Xigaze have both become operational and connected to the state grid over the past two years, with the highest nacelle altitudes exceeding 5,100 meters.

Xizang has made ecology a priority, deeming it as one of the region's four main tasks. A white paper issued last year states that clean energy accounts for nearly 90 percent of the region's installed electric power capacity.

China has continued to make breakthroughs in clean energy and green industry technology innovation in recent years. The installed capacity of hydropower, wind power, and photovoltaic power each exceeded 300 million kW, all ranking the highest in the world, according to a white paper titled China's Green Development in the New Era released last year.

In 2019, China issued a national standard for high-altitude wind turbines, stipulating various technical requirements applicable to such wind turbines in plateau areas from 2,000 to 5,000 meters above sea level.

Shi Lei, a professor at the School of Ecology and Environment, Renmin University of China, said that wind power has injected vitality into Xizang's clean energy development, serving as a vital complement during low-output periods of photovoltaic and hydropower generation.

"The stable operation of this wind power project at an ultra-high altitude is expected to provide a reference for wind power generation in high-altitude areas globally," Shi said.